The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic coupon transmission, and more particularly to boundary-specific electronic offers.
Product manufacturers and retailers have long offered coupons as incentives for purchasing particular products. Typically, coupons offer consumers a discount or other reward for purchasing a particular product and have been distributed by manufacturers and retailers in a paper format. A consumer may redeem a paper coupon by taking the paper coupon to a retailer and purchasing products that satisfy the terms of the paper coupon. Additionally, techniques have been developed to enable exchange and/or redemption of coupons electronically.
Proximity marketing is the offering of specially selected information, products, or services to customers, based on their current location—often in a retail environment, arena, public building, or space. Offers are most often made on a mobile device, when the user has “opted in” for offers. The customer's location may be determined by a plurality of techniques, including utilization of indoor or outdoor sensors and location tracking of the customer's mobile device. That location is shared with an integrated database, which sends an offer—a form of “push notification”—based on that customer's profile. This targeting precision has tremendous potential for marketers and venue operators.